Aqualung Outlaw

[george_austin]

Great review, thank you

 

[scubadada]

Hi Craig

Good review.

One comment regarding the regs. I found I was having a similar issue with my cylinders when I first had a BPW No amount of fine adjustment on the harness or cylinder would solve this (I had my cylinder as far down as it could go) In the end my solution was to "invert" the 1st stage so that the "top" was close to my cylinder as all was well.

I know what you mean with the Surelocks. I have them on my Axiom which I use for pool work and OW dives with students. I've found they dont' like soft weights, because the weight bags bunch up and make them hard to fit. I've been using my rear trim pockets for the summer because like you I don't need much weight.

Regardign the Outlaw, I'm now the proud owner of 2 for my stepsons - I think I have the right size, but I can exchange them when they come back in the Autumn if they're too small.

My one concern is that there's little inherrent buoyancy in the Outlaw. Do you find that?

There's more fat on a french fry than there is on my 2 stepsons and so, with just board shorts and a rash vest even with an Ali cylinder they may be overweight

Thanks @Diving Dubai

I've been diving Scubapro MK25s since 2002. The top and bottom of the 1st stage is quite obvious with the bottom facing 5th LP port on the turret. My head was hitting the top cap. I almost solved the problem using my DIN stage and the yoke adapter with careful tank positioning, it is not much of a problem using the yoke 1st stage. I picked up a nice used yoke MK25 so that I will not have to keep taking my wife's regulator apart and putting it back together when I dive a tank without a DIN valve.

I don't think the Outlaw has much inherent buoyancy at all, but, either does my Knighthawk, at least now that it is 11 years old. My weight did not change when I switched from the Knighthawk to the Outlaw. I use 6 pounds when I wear a 3 mm full suit with, or without my hooded vest and dive an AL cylinder. When I use a steel cylinder, I generally use 0-2 pounds, depending on the cylinder. I could probably dive without a wetsuit and a AL cylinder, I would be overweighted with a steel cylinder. You'll have to see how it works with your stepsons. It's a good, stable, comfortable BC, I bet they will like it.

Good diving, Craig

 

[scubadada]

I finally remembered to take pictures of the weight pockets. The pockets are way back, next to the wing, completely out of the way. The BC with the 25 lb wing and weight pockets weighs 5 lb 12 oz. I have entirely solved the problem of the regulator hitting me in the back of the head by using a yoke regulator and placing the BC relatively high on the tank.

 

[jd950]

Thank you for the update. I have recently heard that despite the marketing approach, AL sees this in part as a replacement/upgrade to the zuma for travel. I would like to try one of these at some point. Wonder if the Zuma will be discontinued?

Looking at it, I wish they had just done 2" webbing on the waist belt so any number of after-market trim weight or quick release weight pouches could be used. Those soft attachment points seem less than optimal. I don't think I have a problem with the shoulder straps. I am sure suitable D rings or carabiners could be attached as desired. I suppose I understand why they did it, but those weight pockets look like they would be a pain to use on a typical dive boat. Of course, I have not used one of these so I am just speculating and curious as to what others experience.

I am of the impression those flat e valves are not easily user-serviceable. Is that right or is that only true of the ones on the i3 system?

 

[scubadada]

Thank you for the update. I have recently heard that despite the marketing approach, AL sees this in part as a replacement/upgrade to the zuma for travel. I would like to try one of these at some point. Wonder if the Zuma will be discontinued?

Looking at it, I wish they had just done 2" webbing on the waist belt so any number of after-market trim weight or quick release weight pouches could be used. Those soft attachment points seem less than optimal. I don't think I have a problem with the shoulder straps. I am sure suitable D rings or carabiners could be attached as desired. I suppose I understand why they did it, but those weight pockets look like they would be a pain to use on a typical dive boat. Of course, I have not used one of these so I am just speculating and curious as to what others experience.

I am of the impression those flat e valves are not easily user-serviceable. Is that right or is that only true of the ones on the i3 system?

Hi @jd950

The waist belt is 1 1/2 inches wide. The belt itself is not very usable for accessories anyhow, as both sides are adjustable by pulling on the respective rings. The loops on the side would probably be fine for attaching an accessory pocket, I will probably do that at some point

I don't know about servicing the butt exhaust valve but I'm not particularly fond of its function. The valve itself seems quite stiff and the pull cord routes down through a small sewn loop at the bottom of the wing. Altogether, it seems relatively unresponsive and harder to make fine adjustments compared to the butt dump on my Knighthawk. Perhaps it will get better as I get more used to it

 

[Diving Dubai]

The flat valves are easy to service, they just unscrew like a normal dump valve (I regularly unscrew mine on my Axiom to give it a good flush out)

@scubadada - You're right, in that configuration there is too much resistant along the cord for a fine dump. I hold the cord right by the dump and sort of roll my fingers putting tension on the cord for a fine gas release. I do this both on my BCD and my wings

 

[stuartv]

That butt dump looks pretty much identical to the butt dump valve on my Apeks sidemount wing. Except, on the SM wing, the cord just comes out without routing through that loop of material at the bottom.

 

[scubadada]

The flat valves are easy to service, they just unscrew like a normal dump valve (I regularly unscrew mine on my Axiom to give it a good flush out)

@scubadada - You're right, in that configuration there is too much resistant along the cord for a fine dump. I hold the cord right by the dump and sort of roll my fingers putting tension on the cord for a fine gas release. I do this both on my BCD and my wings

That butt dump looks pretty much identical to the butt dump valve on my Apeks sidemount wing. Except, on the SM wing, the cord just comes out without routing through that loop of material at the bottom.

I started doing what @Diving Dubai suggested, I grab the cord near the dump and pull it directly, it has helped quite a bit. Without going through the extra loop, it would probably work fine, like the BC of @stuartv

 

[stuartv]

Now that I've seen that, I want to look at my SM wing and see if there is some kind of loop at the bottom to let me run the dump pull through. It seems like it might be nice to do it that, where it is tied off or something, so the end if fixed. Then I would always know where the pull is, instead of having to feel around to find which direction it has floated off in. And I could just insert my finger under the string and pull, to dump it, instead of actually having to pinch the string between 2 fingers in order to pull it. Maybe I can run the pull string through the same grommet that the bottom bungee goes through that holds the wing on the harness. Hmmm....

 

[Umuntu]

I initially thought the Outlaw looked interesting. But then I did some research and realised that the Scubapro Litehawk and the Oceanic Biolite BCDs are both very similar concepts … but less expensive and both come with D-Rings and some pocket space : not as optional extras for extra cash either. Definitely more compelling options for me.